Interview with Ash Noodle
Interview with Ash Noodle
With Ash Noodle in the vicinity for their NHAM in Concert gig we took the opportunity to sit down and have a good old chinwag…
“I get excited about music. I chuck the phrase around “I love this song!” a lot, but I genuinely do with so many (Fedi) songs.”
NHAM: Hey Ash! How are you doing and where have you come from to be with us today? -Where is home?
Ash Noodle: Hi. I’m doing well and am both excited and nervous about the upcoming NHAM in Concert. 🙂 I’m existing in 2 parallel dimensions at the moment – one is a town in the present day in Surrey UK, with lovely views of the North Downs. The other is a timeslip back to my home town north of Liverpool around 1980 with synthpop making its influence felt.
NHAM: Your back catalogue features releases under various guises. As well as Ash Noodle there’s Replay in Neon, The Midnight Detective Club, Ice Line Drift and Danger Lift Machine. What makes these different? Is it in their approach, any collaborators, the periods of time or something else?
Ash Noodle: Most of my music is electronic, but all slightly different. I use different music tools and restrictions for these projects.
Replay in Neon is mostly created in the Caustic app on my phone – that’s sort of crunchy drums and electronic, sometimes ramshackle and a bit wonky, but also with tunes. The limitation is the handful of synths and drum machines Caustic itself provides. I got back into making music through Caustic after I’d previously got rid of all my music hardware setup – I love that I can create music on the go and don’t have to power up a load of kit to do it.
I also use Caustic for the Danger Lift Machine project – but those projects are experiments in sampling. Short tracks often built around a single “out and about” short recording (for example song birds next to a railway, or a moment in my favourite brewery tap room) which is twiddled into musical noise.
Both Replay in Neon and Danger Lift Machine are also good homes for absurd track titles that I might have drifting around my head.
Ice Line Drift is more long form gentle flowing melodic sparse pieces with rhythm but no drums. I tend to limit myself to Halion in Cubase when I’m creating these tracks.
The Midnight Detective Club is myself and session singer Ellen Louise channelling the spirit of a 1981 synthpop duo from another dimension who mysteriously vaporised live on stage in the middle of a gig. Their tracks are recreated using virtual synths and effects of hardware that would have been available at the time, along with virtual guitars and brass. I’m still trying to piece together the uncanny stuff going on with that band via music, videos, games and scraps of information. Sometimes it really is a struggle to get the musical connection through to that otherworldly dimension. 😉
I also create the odd bit of classical style music too using virtual orchestral instruments.
There are overlaps to these projects though in terms of theme and style – probably closer to retro synthpop than modern stuff. And there’s often a theme of the eerie, uncanny, supernatural, imagined folklore and myth in my tracks – fictions inspired by an interest in those areas.
I ended up boxing my projects under these names with these restrictions, because otherwise I’d just shift and change what I want a project to be (like I used to) and would never end up finishing anything.
But that said, the NHAM concert music goes in a different direction using tracks from each of my different projects as a jumping off point. And I’ll be using hardware to recreate the music.
NHAM: Replay in Neon have already released two albums this year. Most recently the excellent Futures We May Still Receive, informed by 70s & 80s sci-films, tv and books. Prior to that you released the 80s synthpop/dance album T1 after about a decade of work on it. Wow, that’s a well considered album! It’s based on your thoughts and experiences since beginning your transition, and you have described it as, ‘part journal, part celebration, and part low key therapy’. It sounds like a really important release. Tell us how you go about creating something over such a long period of time and how putting something so personal in to creative expression has been of benefit to you.
Ash Noodle: I have so many tracks I’ve half started over the years, some just sitting there for a couple of decades, waiting for a home. Some of the T*1 tracks were like that, and I had this urge to create something about being trans. Some of the tracks ended up with robotic distorted vocals on with oblique simple ideas I just wanted to get out. Nothing especially wise or up for a songwriting award, but just random personal thoughts I wanted to share. Some of the tracks say all that needs to be said via the title alone and I didn’t feel like they needed any vocals. I think of T*1 as a starting point for sharing something (mostly positive) about my being trans in a musical form – it may develop, maybe moving it another direction. Maybe a combo of all my music projects in one. I like to be open about being an older trans person (on my own terms). I think it’s important for myself to have some kind of visibility, even just as a way to kind of show other trans people who may not be out that it is possible. I think trans people need that now more than ever.
NHAM: Do you have a favourite act or a favourite release from your various monikers?
Ash Noodle: I think that would be The Midnight Detective Club’s So Long Gone. It’s the most bouncy synthpop song I’ve written and I love Ellen Louise’s voice.
NHAM: How did you come to collaborate with Ellen Louise?
Ash Noodle: I found her through a freelance musician website. I wanted to try out someone else’s vocals on some of my songs, and knew roughly what sort of voice I wanted to hear on my songs, and hers fit the bill perfectly – it was so clear and bright and so easy to fit into the mix. After hearing my rough wonky tune vocals on my demos and then hearing hers on the recordings she sent to me made me so happy. And she always found the tune I was aiming for in the first place, even when I struggled. I’d like to do more songs with her – I’ve got a few lined up, but it comes down to having the money to do it.
NHAM: Who would you describe as your own musical influences?
Ash Noodle: It’s a mix of mostly late 1970s and early 1980s synthpop and new wave – music like Numan, OMD, The Damned, The Stranglers, Bow Wow Wow, Eurythmics, YMO, Japan, early Human League, Blancmange, Yazoo. And also Jean Michel Jarre, Mike Oldfield, Tangerine Dream, Negativland, Ralph Vaughan Williams. All these musicians have made me think, “I’d love to create something like that.”
NHAM: Your NHAM in concert gig is your first ever live performance. Going in to the unknown like that is very brave. Firstly why have you never played live before and, secondly, what have you had to learn/go through in order to get ready for it? Would you recommend others jump in to the unknown, ‘just say yes‘, and do the same?
Ash Noodle: I’ve never played live before for a number of reasons – up until recently I wasn’t really bothered about it. None of my music is really created live. All my music is virtual instruments in the box. But also there were times when I did consider the idea, but I thought I couldn’t do it, I had lots of self-doubt, not sure anyone would be interested. And then as I was working on The Midnight Detective Club tracks I had these day dreams about playing live, and later I also bought an SH4D desktop synth with the idea that I could create music away from the computer and do some kind of live synth/sequencer jam. And if I ever had the urge to do something live at least I’d have a bit of kit I could do it with. And then at the start of 2026 I started seeing musicians in the Fediverse talking about their live music streams and I started thinking more seriously about the idea. And then you asked me to do it! So, I thought “Yeah. I’m going to go for it!” And thanks again for asking me if I’d like to do it.
In terms of what I had to learn, for this NHAM in Concert event I had to learn how to use new pieces of hardware and software kit – the Roland SH4D (properly), Akai MPX8 sampler, the Koala sampler app with M-Vave midi controller, an audio interface, and OBS studio streaming software. And learn the differences between putting something together as a release on the computer and putting something together as a live jam. And how to create the visuals. It’s been a really good and fun way for me to focus and get to grips with the idea of creating a live sequencer sampler jam release music thing!
I’d say, if you are thinking about doing something live, go for it. I’m looking forward to my session and will overcome those nerves. 😀
NHAM: You’ve been an occasional contributor to NHAM, writing reviews of releases you’re particularly fond of. What inspired to get involved and write about other Fedi muscians?
Ash Noodle: I really like the idea of supporting other musicians, and I can see so many people out there on the Fediverse doing that in a number of ways – sharing and being positive about other people’s music, engaging in conversations about music creation, music sharing sites like NHAM, IndieBeatRadio & TV, @etherdiver’s Other People’s Music, music podcasts and blogs, and so much more. I know it’s about wanting to raise the voices of genuinely independent musicians in a way that isn’t fuelled by big companies or the need for shareholder profit, but it also feels like there’s a genuine kindness and community to it as well. I really liked that, and I wanted to do something within my own capabilities to support that idea, so I share the music I like. I get excited about music. I chuck the phrase around “I love this song!” a lot, but I genuinely do with so many songs, and I want to share that with others. And I also want to highlight music that I don’t want to get lost or forgotten – whether that’s via a toot on Mastodon or via the NHAM reviews. And this interview is acting as a reminder that I need to submit more NHAM reviews about the music I’m listening to!
NHAM: The fair platform you’ve chosen to host your music on is Bandwagon. What drew you to Bandwagon and what do you like about hosting your stuff there?
Ash Noodle: Over the past couple of years I’ve got more involved in music discussions on Mastodon. I could see that other musicians were setting up their own Faircamp music sites, or joining collective streaming sites. And I liked the idea of doing something more independent like that. Over the last couple of decades I’ve set up websites, left some to rot, or deleted others. I want somewhere I can stay that doesn’t sit in isolation. And I was looking for something that I didn’t have to create myself from scratch – I could probably do it, but I like to focus my time on the creative aspects. I like Bandwagon because it gives people the opportunity to listen to my music without payment, limits or adverts, and I can write about my music on there too. I like how it integrates into the Indie Beat Radio music streaming site as well. And it’s easy to use.
NHAM: You’re a very active member of the fantastic bonkwave collective, not only contributing tracks to various compilations but also being involved in putting together compilation albums. Why is the bonkwave community and movement special to you?
Ash Noodle: Bonkwave is a fun thing to be involved in – it’s a key part of the Fediverse musicians community I’ve got to know online. I only really offer an extra pair of ears when helping with the compilations, mainly saying “Ooh, there’s a frequency around 2.2khz that’s hurting my ears,” or “Is that track distorting a bit?” But again, like my contributions to NHAM, I wanted to do something to give back to the Fediverse. It’s nice to be part of a collaborative effort. And attending the streaming release parties are always so fun and positive. I also like creating absurd images as a bit of promo for it too.
NHAM: Before we go is there one song in world you wish you had written?
Ash Noodle: Let me give you my very long playlist! 😀 Seriously, there are far too many for me to name. There’s so many songs I love, and when I hear them for the first time I’ll play them over and over for a while, and then not listen to them for ages, and the next time I hear them I’m all excited over again. I am still discovering new ones all the time. Even ones that were written 50s years ago! For example, the one I most recently wish I’d have written is Alessi Brothers’ Seabird. I only heard that for the first time about a year ago while watching Our Flag Means Death (though the song was released back in 1977), and I thought, “Wow! This is lovely. Who’s this?” I went through a phase of playing it over and over, just melting soppily every time I heard it.
And then there are also all the musicians I mentioned earlier – they all have at least one song I wish I’d written.
And there are definitely songs on the Fediverse I’ve heard that left me thinking “Wow. Wish I could write something like that.”
NHAM: Great to catch up with you Ash! Can’t wait for your gig! Listeners can enjoy your music via the links below as well as catching you on rotation both on NHAM radio and TIBtv.
Ash Noodle: Thanks for asking me to do the gig. 🙂 And it’s been lovely sharing some of my musical background with you.
